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Breathe: Everyone Has To Do It by Christopher Fowler
28/11/2005 . Source: Pauline Morgan 
pub: Telos. 102 page enlarged paperback. Price: £ 7.99 (UK), $ 9.95 (US), $14.95 (CAN). ISBN: 1-903889-67-7. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.telos.co.uk and www.christopherfowler.co.uk
Telos is one of the new breed of small press publishers that in recent years have been producing good quality books, often at novella or novelette length. The nice thing about this kind of book is that they can give a flavour of an author's work without having to read a huge tome and for those already familiar with it, a short piece uncluttered with stories by other people as found in magazines and anthologies. They may be equally good writers, but some collectors prefer their favourite author solo. Many of these publishers produce a nice paperback and a collectors' edition as a deluxe hardcover. This is no exception.
The story can best be described as Urban Horror. It begins with violence, in a brand new SymaxCorp building built on a prime development site where Felix is working late. He has to get a report finished for his boss. Felix disappears. The reader knows exactly why. Three weeks later, Ben Harper starts work as his replacement as Health and Safety Officer. To get the job, he has forged his reference but he badly needs the work. On the first morning, he discovers that the place is run on almost military lines. Everyone is expected to do nothing but work and follow the rules. Infringements are punished by suspension. Most people toe the line but he is quickly taken in hand by the few rebels. Miranda is a temp, which makes it difficult for them to sack her, Meera refuses to wear regulation dress because she doesn't want to be invisible and June who has been told to lose weight or be suspended. All three of them think there is something weird going on. They show Ben the strange effects that appear to be showing up in the building such as water swirling the wrong way, pigeons dropping dead, static in the walls, mobile phones receiving sixties radio signals. They want Ben to investigate the potential health hazards but he is refused access to records and Felix's computer has been wiped. Miranda also wants to know what happened to Felix. She is sure he never left the building. Ben reluctantly agrees to help them.
As the week progresses, the situation in the building deteriorates. The other members of staff begin to show signs of abnormal behaviour, other than the unquestioning work ethic. At times, the scenes described are almost farcical. They would certainly be if there wasn't the sinister influence that is pushing the workforce towards mayhem.
For lovers of the horror genre, this is a delightful book and it was awarded the 2005 British Fantasy Award at Fantasycon in September for Best Novella.
Pauline Morgan
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